A Scrumptious Scandinavian Meat Pie
You can't go wrong with this recipe for Lihamurekepiiras
On New Year’s Eve, I make a Scandinavian meat pie called Lihamurekepiiras. This dish is perfect for the holidays because you can decorate the pie any way you like so that it fits the theme of your party. The crust is sour-cream based, which makes the dough really easy to work with, and the pie is served with a dill sour-cream dressing that is absolutely delicious—you can’t go wrong with this dish. (Fashion designer Lela Rose’s passion for creativity extends beyond dressing for a celebration. She’s also a maven at hosting them. See more in Oh, How She Parties!)
HOW TO MAKE LIHAMUREKEPIIRAS:
serves 6
Sour Cream Pastry:
- 2 1/4 cups flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup (6 ounces) butter
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
Sift flour and salt onto a board or into a bowl and make a well in the center. Break the butter (which should be firm but not too cold) into small pieces and put in the well with the egg and sour cream. Work quickly with the fingers to blend the flour and ingredients until they form a soft ball of dough. If necessary, add a little more sour cream (use no more than 1/4 cup in all) to bind dough. Form into a ball, wrap in wax paper or foil, and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, make the filling.
Filling:
- 4 tablespoons butter (this is marked out)
- 1 lb ground veal (you have written to the side "sausage, maybe a few bread crumbs, cream cheese, spinach")
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 lb ground pork
- Salt, freshly ground pepper
- 1 cup finely chopped mushrooms
- 1/2 cup finely chopped onion (you wrote "in butter")
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley (you wrote "spinach")
- 1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup milk (you wrote cream cheese)
- Egg wash: 1 egg and 2 tablespoons heavy cream beaten together with a fork.
Heat the butter in a large skillet, add the meats and brown quickly, breaking them up with a fork and spreading them around well. Season thoroughly with salt and pepper.
Combine cooked meat mixture with mushrooms, onion, parsley, cheese, eggs and milk and blend well with the hands. (If you wish to taste for seasoning, fry a small amount of the filling in butter).
Roll out the sour cream dough in one large piece about 12 by 15 inches, or divide it in half and roll out each piece to 6 by 15 inches. Lightly butter a cookie sheet. If you use 1 piece of pastry, center half of it in the middle of the sheet with the other half over the edge. Form the filling into a loaf with your hands and arrange on the dough, leaving at least a 1-inch margin all around. Fold over the second half to meet the edge of the first half and seal the edges well with a fork, making an attractive pattern. Roll out any trimmings into pieces about 1/2 inch wide and long enough to be crisscrossed across the loaf. Brush the top of the pastry with the egg wash, then apply the reserved pastry in diagonal strips, crossing each other. Brush strips with egg wash. Bake in a 375 degree oven until golden brown, about 45 minutes.
If you use two pieces of dough, follow the same procedure: Place one piece on the cookie sheet, arrange the molded meat on it, and top with the second piece, sealing edges well.
This may be served as it is, with sour cream and dill, or with a mushroom salad.
